11 KB cameras in RAW test

With RAW, the image quality can be increased. But the results of our comparison show that the advantages vary depending on the model and manufacturer. Canon cameras, for example, gain little to no fine detail, and if they do, then at higher sensitivities. The camera's signal processing already makes very good use of the sensors' potential when calculating JPEGs. With RAW, the photos become more natural in appearance, but rarely more detailed. At higher sensitivities, the photographer must accept a certain amount of noise. Without noise reduction, you cannot get by at ISO 1600 and RAW. The R5 benefits the most from RAW, the R6 II the least. With Nikon we observe a different picture - three models, Z5, Z6 II and Z7 II, made a noticeable quality leap with RAW, whereby we had the feeling that Nikon's RAWs are also optimised more than usual in the camera. Already at ISO 100, the fine detail increases with RAW compared to JPEG. This is also true for high sensitivities: even with stronger denoising, RAWs still offer advantages over JPEGs. Nevertheless, we recommend restraint in denoising or tolerance towards noise, then the level of detail increases. Only the Z9 breaks the pattern - it comes with a different and more restrained JPEG setting than the other three Z cameras. With RAW, the improvements remain moderate. The results of the Sony cameras show a split picture. The A9 II gains less with RAW, but tends to do so at all sensitivities, provided you don't denoise too much at ISO 1600. The A7 IV equipped with the 33-megapixel sensor, on the other hand, improves significantly at ISO 100, but struggles more with noise at ISO 1600: depending on the motifs, you can also tackle image noise more intensively with the A7 IV, but then the resolution advantages also melt away. The A7R V and the A1 follow the same pattern as the A7 IV, but with even more verve. At ISO 100, both increase details in RAW format, especially at low contrasts. Top! But at ISO 1600, the noticeable noise grows into a serious challenge: you have to fight it, even at the expense of fine detail. With the A1, the drizzle is less visually disturbing than with the A7R V.